Frijid Pink
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Frijid Pink is an American rock band, formed in Detroit in 1967, best known for their 1969 rendition of "
House of the Rising Sun A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
". The initial line-up of the band included drummer Richard Stevers, guitarist Gary Ray Thompson, bassist Tom Harris, lead singer Tom Beaudry (aka Kelly Green), and later added Larry Zelanka as off-staff keyboardist. On their album, ''All Pink Inside'', the line-up was Craig Webb, guitar, Larry Popolizio, bass, Rick Stevers, drums, and Jo Baker
harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
/vocal, with the addition of Rockin' Reggie Vincent, vocals, and David Ahlers, piano. Over 35 years would pass before the next album would be released.


Career

Frijid Pink formed when local Detroit-area cover band the Detroit Vibrations, which featured Stevers and Harris, were joined by guitarist Gary Ray Thompson and singer Tom Beaudry, who later took the stage name Kelly Green. Thompson convinced Vibrations' manager Clyde Stevers (Richard's father) that he was a better musician than the Vibrations' current guitarist. The group spent their first two years touring throughout the
Southeast Michigan Southeast Michigan, also called southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries as well as slightly over half of the state's population, most of whom are c ...
/Detroit area and eventually signed with
Parrot Records Parrot Records was an American record label, a division of London Records, which started in 1964. The label usually licensed (or leased) recordings made by Decca Records, England, for release in the United States and Canada, most notably by the ...
. Their first two
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
, "Tell Me Why" (#70 Canada) and "Drivin' Blues" (both released in 1969) failed to attract much attention, but their third 1969 effort, a distorted guitar-driven rendition of "
House of the Rising Sun A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
," reached the Top Ten on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the spring of 1970. This disc sold over one million copies, thereby receiving a
gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
. The track also peaked at No. 4 in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and No. 3 in the Canadian
RPM Magazine ''RPM'' ( and later ) was a Canadian music-industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. ''R ...
charts. The song was a "filler," using up time at the end of a recording session. The band was popular in their native Detroit area. A fledgling
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
once opened for them at Detroit's
Grande Ballroom The Grande Ballroom ( ') is a historic live music venue located at 8952 Grand River Avenue in the Petosky-Otsego neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. The building was designed by Detroit engineer and architect Charles N. Agree in 1928 and origin ...
. Frijid Pink often shared billing with the likes of the
MC5 MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original line-up consisted of Rob Tyner (vocals) Wayne Kramer (guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar), Michael Davis (bass), and Dennis ...
,
the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...
,
the Amboy Dukes The Amboy Dukes were an American rock band formed in 1964 in Chicago, Illinois, and later based in Detroit, Michigan. They are best known for their only hit single, "Journey to the Center of the Mind". The band's name comes from the title of a ...
, and other local groups. Frijid Pink's self-titled debut LP followed in 1970, as did their second release ''Defrosted'', with virtually all of the album's writing being provided by the duo of Beaudry and Thompson. Subsequent singles including "Sing A Song For Freedom" and a
cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
of "
Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being ...
" failed to match earlier successes, and after Beaudry and Thompson failed in an attempt to reform the group, a new lineup was created featuring David Alexander (later Jon Wearing) on vocals, Craig Webb on guitar, and Larry Zelanka on keyboards. This version of the group recorded 1972's ''Earth Omen''. The group would have another lineup in place before re-entering the studio to record 1975's ''All Pink Inside'' with Jo Baker on vocals and Larry Popolizio playing the bass. In 1981 Stevers and Harris joined forces with Arlen Viecelli, lead singer/guitarist of Salem Witchcraft, and Ray Gunn, guitarist of Virgin Dawn, to record an album at Sound Suite studio in Detroit. The music was written by Viecelli and Gunn and was set to be released in the summer of 1982. However, after failed negotiation attempts with various record companies by the group's manager (the aforementioned Clyde Stevers), the group disbanded and the material was never released. Another lineup of the band (featuring no past members) formed in 2001. They recorded one album, ''Inner Heat,'' which was set for release in 2002. After a single show, which did not feature the band's biggest hit, the album was pulled by the record label, Dynasty Records. In 2005 yet another lineup formed featuring most of the original members; drummer Stevers had succeeded in getting bassist Tom Harris and vocalist Tom Beaudry together with guitarist Steve Dansby (from a late 1970s line-up of
Cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...
) and unknown keyboardist Larin Michaels. In late 2006, after another failed attempt to reunite the original members, Stevers began auditioning guitarists for the reformation of Frijid Pink. A keyboard player was also recruited. Over the course of the next five years, this new lineup would play a dozen or so gigs, such as local venues and street fairs, but, without proper management, never had any steady work or did any touring. The focus shifted to basement recording and piecing an album together, which was released in March 2011 on the Repertoire label. This album, available in the U.S. as an import, is composed of re-recorded renditions of songs from the group's previous albums and new original music. In late 2011, the lead singer/guitarist/engineer and the keyboard player were replaced, thus ending the longest contiguous line-up in the band's history at that point. . Recording and performing continued in a similar fashion with this latest lineup, and an EP was released in late spring of 2012. An EP, entitled "Taste of Pink" was released in early 2017, featuring 3 new songs and a newly recorded version of House of the Rising Sun. The three new songs featured on the EP were included in the 2018 album ''On the Edge''. In 2013, Frijid Pink was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.


Members

;Current members * Rick Stevers – drums * Brent Austin – bass guitar, vocals * Ricky Houke – guitar, vocals * Chuck Mangus – keyboards, harmonica * Rick Zeithaml – guitar, vocals ;Former members * Craig Webb – guitar * Gary Ray Thompson – guitar * Jo Baker – vocals, harmonica * Jon Wearing – vocals * Larry Zelanka – keyboards * Reggie Vincent – vocals * Tom Harris – bass guitar * Tom Beaudry (AKA Kelly Green) – vocals (died 2021) * Bobby Gilbert (Bobby G) – guitar * Danny Romanek – vocals * Dave Akers (bass guitar) * Unnamed others


Discography


Albums


Singles


Compilation albums

* '' The Beginning Vol. 5'' (Deram) 1973. German
compilation Compilation may refer to: *In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler **Compilation error **Compilation unit *Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products *Compilation thesis M ...
; rare import * ''Hibernated'' (2002) 3-CD Box Set that includes first three albums plus non-album singles


References

{{Authority control Psychedelic rock music groups from Michigan Musical groups from Detroit Musical groups established in 1967 Deram Records artists Parrot Records artists Fantasy Records artists 1967 establishments in Michigan People from Brighton, Michigan